Patent-leather and method of producing same.



are. 783.828.

rrn Smarts Patented February 28, 190%..

PATENT-"LEATHER AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,828, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed September 80,1904. Serial No. 226,721.

To all w/tont it 711/141 concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON B. GoLDsMrrn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Patent-Leather and Method of Producing the Same, of Which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of enameled or so-called patentdeatherg and it is particularly applicable to enameling leather on the grain side, and the invention also comprises the improved article resulting from the process. The great bulk of the patent-leather as it is produced for the market to-day is still manufactured by the original process of using linseed-oil in the several coatings, the first coat containing a pigment to impart an appropriate color and the final coats consisting of linseed-oil prepared with dricrs to form a readily flowing and gloss giving varnish. This process is laborious and requires considerable skill to execute; but even with the utmost care a great many sides of leather when finished are only of second quality by reason of defects in the finished article, which are too well known to require enumeration.

Perhaps the main reason why it is so difiicult to produce a uniformly-satisfactory patent-leather by the process just referred to is found in the fact that leather in its natural state acts almost like a sponge, readily absorbing and continuing to absorb linseed-oil coatings which are applied to it. The leather, in fact, keeps on absorbing the successive coats of linseed-oil as they are applied until the absortive capacity of the leather is satisfied. This means that a number of coats of linseed-oil are called for, that the aggregate of the coatings is thick and brittle, and the leather stiff. Besides, it is found that no two pieces of leather possess exactly the same capacity for absorption, so that the workman has to deal with each hide on its own merits.

Now I have discovered that loan enamel leather in a comparatively simple way, requiring no great skill on the part of the Workman, and yet produce a product of uniform excellence, and this with a thinner layer of superposed coating than has heretofore been practicable, which means that the leather remains flexible. To this end I either manufacture in the first place or procure on the market what is known as sized or glazed leather. Such leather is made by applying several coats of a size of albumen or gelatin, in which condition it is known as sized leather. If after an application of the size the surface is polished in a glazing-machine, the leather is called glazed leather. 1 have found that such sized leather, Whether glazed or not, is especially fitted for the manufacture of patent-leather, as the absorptive capacity of the leather has been satisfied and the resulting patent-leather is not stiff. I now have a surface to which l can directly apply an enameling-coating which will practically remain on the surface, since the absorptive capacity of the leather has been largely, if not entirely, satisfied by the gelatinous or albuminous sizing. A slight absorption of the enamel, which may still occur, is rather an advantage, since it causes the enamel to anchor in the slightly-absorptive surface. It is generally necessary to apply only one or at most two coats to produce the finished article, and these coats will nevertheless stick very tightly to the leather and show no tendency to peel off. In this manner I can produce ahigh gloss by a comparatively thin layer of applied coating, which coating may be applied with the minimum of skill and will, nevertheless, adhere tightly to the leather. This adhesion of the enamelingcoating to the leather may be still further enhanced by slightly abrading the gelatinous or albuminous surface of the sizing before the enameling-coats are applied; but While this practice is advisable, especially if the sizing is glazed, it is not absolutely necessary, since very good results are obtained by applying the enameling-coating directly upon the unabraded glazed surface. The abrading of the glazed surface, if practiced, may be accomplished by powdered pumice-stone and buli'ers.

To illustrate the character of my invention by way of specific example, I may say that I may take the sized or glazed leather of commerce and either slightly abrade its surface in the manner pointed out above or not. T 0 this surface I then apply a coat consisting of a mixture of a drying-oil and pyroxylin in solution, which mixture is formed by dissolving the pyroxylin in one of its usual solvents, such as a suitable compound, ether, or a ketone, and then mixing the pyroxylin solution with the drying-oil in the desired proportions. I have found the following proportions to give excellent results: One volume of a solution of six ounces of pyroxylin in one gallon of solvent mixed with one to one and one-half volumes of drying-oil; but widelydifferent proportions from those here given may be used. After this coat has been allowed to air-dry a second coat of the same mixture is or may be applied, and this coat having been allowed to dry the patent-leather is finished. It will be understood, however, that while the mixture which I have just described is peculiarly useful when used in connection with sized leather my invention comprises the application to such sized leather of any of the enameling-coats used in the manufacture of patent-leather.

In order to save the expense of enameling those portions of the skin which are not used in the finished shoe or other article and in order to make it possible to utilize the corresponding portions of the sized or glazed leather-that is to say, those portions which would ultimately disappear in scraps after the enameled leather produced therefrom has been cut into its ultimate shape-I prefer to execute the-process which I have above described by taking the sized or glazed leather, cutting it into its finished or vamp shape, and then applying my enameling coat or coats in the manner described to the cut-out pieces. This process is peculiarly useful, because whereas the scraps remaining from cutting up enameled leather into its vamp form have little utility the scraps remaining from cutting up sized or glazed leather into such forms have'considerable commercial value.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. The process of manufacturing patentleather which consists in applying to the surface of sized leather one or more coats of enamel, substantially as described.

2. The process of manufacturing patentleather which consists in applying to the surface of sized leather one or more coats of enamel containing a drying-oil, substantially as described.

3. The process of manufacturing patentleather which consists in applying to the surface of sized leather one or more coats of enamel containing a drying-oil and pyroxylin, substantially as described.

4. The process of manufacturing patentleather which consists in cutting sized leather into the shape in which it is to be utilized, and applying to the surface of the sized leather one or more coats of enamel, substantially as described.

5. The process of manufacturing patentleather which consists in first partially abrading the surface of sized leather and then applying one or more coats of enamel, substantially as described.

6. Patent-leather consisting of an enamel ing coat or coats joined to a sized surface of the leather, substantially as described.

7. Patent-leather consisting of an enameling coat or coats containing a drying-oil joined to a sized surface of the leather, substantially as described.

8. Patent-leather consisting of an enameling coat or coats containing a drying-oil and pyroxylin joined to a sized surface of the leather, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BYRON B. GOLDSMITH. lVitnesses:

O. E. FINN, OSCAR \VIENER. 

